It’s a town full of losers and I’m pulling out of here to win. -Bruce Springsteen
Public Service Announcement: Ok, here we go! The Philadelphia Phillies. The Fightin’ Phils. The Fight, fight, fight-in Phils! It’s a tough, tough, team to beat. They’re out to win, win ev-’ry day. Every victory is sweet. Last night’s victory was sweet. Last night, the Phillies moved two games ahead of the Mets in the NL East. Last night, Greg Dobbs got his major league-leading 21st pinch of the season, setting a new Phillies club record. Yowza! Last night, she said, “Oh, baby, don’t feel so down.”
Chase Utley ain’t feeling down. You can’t keep a good man down. You’d think he might be. I mean, he was in the midst of an 0-for-12 skid. I mean, he had just ten hits in his previous sixty-six at-bats with runners in scoring position. I mean, he had been coming up small in so many big situations. Not last night.
Last night, he smashed a tie-breaking two-run bomb in the bottom of the seventh. Smashed a 1-1 fastball from Pirates reliever Tyler Yates deep into the right field seats. Ballgame. Ballgame because that’s what the Phillies do. Er. don’t do. The Philadelphia Phillies do not give up leads. Ever. When the day is long and the night, the night is theirs alone; when they’re sure they’ve had enough of this life, they hang on.
As soon as Chase Utley’s rocket cleared the wall, the Philles knew they had this thing the bag. How could they not? The Phillies are 53-0 when leading by two-or-more runs in the seventh inning or later. The Phillies are the only team in the majors that hasn’t lost a game this season in which it led by two-or-more runs in the seventh inning or later. The Phillies lock it down. Knock it down. Rock around the clock it down.
So you can New York Metropolitan me. You can Florida Marlin me. You can say it’s a pennant race. I say when all is said and done, it’ll be the Phillies still standing. I say they’re strong to the finish ’cause they eat their spinach. They’re the Fightin’ Phils!
Public Acknowledgements: Delaware County String Band, Strokes, REM and Popeye
Public Spectacle:
Peace out homies. Six two and Even!
Need More? MLB,Philadelphia Phillies
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